Help set up mail on hame server

[espfutbol98]

I have my own server (XP, Apache, PHP, MySQL, CGI, SSL) and I am trying to enable mail. I have found a free program to do this but I believe I need a dns server to edit the MX record. I have no idea how to create a personal dns server. All of the guides online are for lunix based systems. What should I do?

[espfutbol98]

Sorry about the typo. My computer was in Croatian and I just now noticed the mistake and can't edit it.
It is supposed to be a Home Server

[the_cardfather]

What OS is your server running? If it's a windows server platform (Server 2003 et) then DNS is built in. You set it up through system processes. If it's a standard windows copy (XP Pro, Vista) then DNS is not built in.

I personally have found unless you are running enterprise level servers with a dedicated backbone that hosting your own mail server is not worth the hastle.

First there's security if you want this computer hosting the mail server to actually connect to the internet. Be VERY careful choosing and setting up a mail server as leaving it unsecured for even 1 night can result in an open relay which can result in spammers finding your server and your IP being blacklisted. I found this out first hand and had to switch ISPs as ORBC blocked my entire subnet.

Other problems with mail servers include setting reverse lookups which is how mail finds its way to your server. Your ISP has to set this up on thier end and usually only business level connections with static IP can even order this service. It can take a while to replicate. Until its fully in place some of your mail will fall into the black hole.

Personally my recommendation for someone who wants domain email is to buy domain hosting for thier home page and then link or re-direct to thier home sites if bandwidth or storage is an issue.

[lhyman]

1) check with your ISP that they are not blocking port 25 and that you are allowed to run a mail server

2) check that with your ISP that you have a static ip

3) check with your domain provider that they will give you access to your full dns records (A & MX)

4) set you A record for yourdomain.com to point to your static ip

5) create a sub domain called mail.yourdomain.com and set it to your static ip or your first A record, you might have to call phone support from your domain name dns record provider and ask them what their preferred method is for setting the mail.yourdomain.com is, they will be very glad to help you

6) set your mx record to host mail.yourdomain.com

7) wait 2 - 48 hrs for the INTERNET dns records to update

setup your computer

9) call your INTERNET provider and tell them you setup the mx record and you need a reversed dns record (they will get back to you when it is ready)

You realize ofcourse that you are not going to be able to do this on a home INTERNET account, most likely business class, and like I said from the beginning your ISP will have a very active role in this...

[espfutbol98]

Thank you all for your responses but I have found a solution to this. The domain I bought (from GoDaddy) has mail included. I'm not sure if I could do this anyway. My ISP blocks port 80 so I have to use SSL 443. I'm assuming they block everything else too.

[robocards]

I have found that windows 7 has the abilty to run like a server in the system settings but untill that comes out I dont know

[Tariqul Islam]

In tutorial section we expects nice tutorials, not the questions.